by Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY

by Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY

More then 1,500 avid fans of the Twilight series from around the world have set up tents in a "fan camp" near the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles in advance of Monday's premiere for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2.

The premiere will be the final time the stars -- including Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner -- walk the black carpet for the highly lucrative franchise.

"I had to come," said Maribel Castillo, 19, from Bakersfield, Calif., who attended her second Twilight fan camp with seven other friends. "I had to see Robert Pattinson one more time."

Castillo even braved a rainstorm and unusually chilly temperatures Thursday night which forced her to run to Target to purchase tarps "to keep us warm."

"Even with the tarps, it was still pretty cold," she said.

Organizers expect more than 2,200 to participate in the event by Monday night. Some of the fans will be allowed to attend the premiere and after-party.

The tradition began with the Twilight premiere in 2008, surprising the film's distributor, Summit Entertainment. Now Summit organizes events to keep the fans entertained.

On Friday, campers took part in a Twilight themed workout with fitness instructors. For Saturday, a slate of musical entertainment is planned, including an appearance by Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed. (Reed stars as a vampire in the movie series.)

And more of the movie's stars are scheduled to appear on Sunday to serve breakfast to the fans.

Event organizers have done their best to protect the campers from the elements, erecting a large tent as rain protection.

Eryka Bradford, 32, of Ottawa, Canada, spent $1,000 for a plane ticket to attend her first fan camp and was thankful for the cover.

"We didn't get hit too bad because of the big tent," she said. "Besides, I'm from Canada. So none of this is a problem. My sleeping bag is good to -20 Celsius. So I was taking stuff off inside the sleeping bag. I was super-warm."

Nothing was going to stop her from coming.

"I want to meet Rob Pattinson, the cast and I need to tell (Twilight author) Stephenie Meyer that she's a rock star," said Bradford.